#648 – Ace in the Hole, 1951, Billy Wilder
A frustrated former big-city journalist now stuck working for an Albuquerque newspaper exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to revitalize his career, but the situation quickly escalates into an out-of-control media circus.
#649 – The Crowd, 1928, King Vidor
John, an ambitious but undisciplined New York City office worker, meets and marries Mary. They start a family, struggle to cope with marital stress, financial setbacks, and tragedy, all while lost amid the anonymous, pitiless throngs of the big city.
#650 – Barton Fink, 1991, Joel Coen
A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.
JUMBO CACTUAR APPROVED FILM
#655 – Predator, 1987, John McTiernan
Dutch and his group of commandos are hired by the CIA to rescue downed airmen from guerillas in a Central American jungle. The mission goes well but as they return they find that something is hunting them. Nearly invisible, it blends in with the forest, taking trophies from the bodies of its victims as it goes along. Occasionally seeing through its eyes, the audience sees it is an intelligent alien hunter, hunting them for sport, killing them off one at a time.
JUMBO CACTUAR APPROVED FILM
#656 – Kill Bill: Vol 2, 2004, Quentin Tarantino
The Bride unwaveringly continues on her roaring rampage of revenge against the band of assassins who had tried to kill her and her unborn child. She visits each of her former associates one-by-one, checking off the victims on her Death List Five until there’s nothing left to do … but kill Bill.
JUMBO CACTUAR APPROVED FILM
#657 – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966, Mike Nichols
A bitter, aging couple, with the help of alcohol, use a young couple to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other.
#658 – Love Streams, 1984, John Cassavetes
Two closely-bound, emotionally wounded siblings reunite after years apart.
#659 – The Holy Mountain, (La montaña sagrada), 1973, Alejandro Jodorowsky
A Mexican master leads a Christ figure and other disciples to a mountain of immortal wise men. The scandal of the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, writer/director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s flood of sacrilegious imagery and existential symbolism in The Holy Mountain is a spiritual quest for enlightenment pitting illusion against truth. The Alchemist assembles together a group of people from all walks of life to represent the planets in the solar system. The occult adept’s intention is to put his recruits through strange mystical rites and divest them of their worldly baggage before embarking on a trip to Lotus Island. There they ascend the Holy Mountain to displace the immortal gods who secretly rule the universe.
#664 – Eat Drink Man Woman, (飲食男女), 1994, Ang Lee
The film tells the story of a retired and widowed Chinese master chef Chu and his family living in modern day Taipei, Taiwan. At the start of the film, he lives with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. As the film progresses, each of the daughters encounters new men in their lives. When these new relationships blossom, the stereotypes are broken and the living situation within the family changes.. The film features several scenes displaying the techniques and artistry of gourmet Chinese cooking. Since the family members have difficulty expressing their love for each other, the intricate preparation of banquet quality dishes for their Sunday dinners is the surrogate for their familial feelings.
#674 – Raising Arizona, 1987, Joel Coen
The Coen Brothers tell the story of an absurd yet likable family with an unproductive couple as the focal point. The couple has gotten themselves into some trouble while kidnapping a baby and give Hollywood one of the most memorable chase scenes to date.
Jumbo Cactuar Film Index 